Do bolt-on performance mods really make a difference?

[ViperDad]

I bought my 06 QC about four years ago and have installed the usual bolt-on performance mods:

• K&N Cold Air Intake
• JTSVP Throttle Body
• JTSVP Underdrive Pulley
• Magnaflow Catback Exhaust + Rear Cat Delete
• SCT Tuner from Torrie

I recently dyno'd my truck at only 414hp/457tq and my best 1/4 mile time is 13.8s @101mph. Where is all the power? The truck drives almost exactly the same, although it's louder. Could I have one of the trucks with the [allegedly] bad camshaft?

I'm very frustrated, feeling like I'm throwing a match on a bonfire. This beast should be much quicker but instead it's all bark and no bite!

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

I bought my 06 QC about four years ago and have installed the usual bolt-on performance mods:

• K&N Cold Air Intake
• JTSVP Throttle Body
• JTSVP Underdrive Pulley
• Magnaflow Catback Exhaust + Rear Cat Delete
• SCT Tuner from Torrie

I recently dyno'd my truck at only 414hp/457tq and my best 1/4 mile time is 13.8s @101mph. Where is all the power? The truck drives almost exactly the same, although it's louder. Could I have one of the trucks with the [allegedly] bad camshaft?

I'm very frustrated, feeling like I'm throwing a match on a bonfire. This beast should be much quicker but instead it's all bark and no bite!

Yessir you indeed have an issue. Cam it and be happy
I really think it's in our cam sprocket having sone retardation built in.

 

[ramv10]

I bought my 06 QC about four years ago and have installed the usual bolt-on performance mods:

• K&N Cold Air Intake
• JTSVP Throttle Body
• JTSVP Underdrive Pulley
• Magnaflow Catback Exhaust + Rear Cat Delete
• SCT Tuner from Torrie

I recently dyno'd my truck at only 414hp/457tq and my best 1/4 mile time is 13.8s @101mph. Where is all the power? The truck drives almost exactly the same, although it's louder. Could I have one of the trucks with the [allegedly] bad camshaft?

I'm very frustrated, feeling like I'm throwing a match on a bonfire. This beast should be much quicker but instead it's all bark and no bite!

You should be around 450hp (more or less) to wheels with those mods and tune. One of our Canadian members had the same issue with his 06, turned out to be a retarded cam.

 

[Bhpaddict]

Did you dyno it before ?
Then it is difficult to say if you have improvement or not.
Probably the figures should be a little higher but if we where to measure and compare stock engines there would also be a possible difference of 30 to 40 hp.
What you're missing is a set of headers and a tune specific for an engine with bigger TB and headers with high flow cats. That will make a change.
There are some headers with cats for sale on the forum; go for it !
The magnaflow doesn't do much. I have a calculation software to calculate exhausts in function of valve curve, expected rpm to peak torque and peak power and so on. I bought it because i was certain to make myself a damn good exhaust, not that oem crap.
In the end after doing the math the results are so darn close to the OEM catback that it isn't worth the work.
I do have to add that i was aiming for good street use with the RPM figures.
If i was to calculate for track use the figures would be different.

 

[ARRESTmeRed04]

What elevation are you at? I've seen a bone stock(right down to the paper air filter) 06 qc run 13.88 in 90*+ weather. I'd throw the $1300ish at it for a cam and see what it does. Also depends on the dyno, last one I was on my truck was only 420hp/438torque, and I've got pretty much all the bolt ons.

 

[ontariobee]

Now you have got me worried, i have all those bolt ons plus headers and i'm only at 13.7@101mph

 

[caveman]

I bought my 06 QC about four years ago and have installed the usual bolt-on performance mods:

• K&N Cold Air Intake
• JTSVP Throttle Body
• JTSVP Underdrive Pulley
• Magnaflow Catback Exhaust + Rear Cat Delete
• SCT Tuner from Torrie

I recently dyno'd my truck at only 414hp/457tq and my best 1/4 mile time is 13.8s @101mph. Where is all the power? The truck drives almost exactly the same, although it's louder. Could I have one of the trucks with the [allegedly] bad camshaft?

I'm very frustrated, feeling like I'm throwing a match on a bonfire. This beast should be much quicker but instead it's all bark and no bite!

A dyno is a tuning tool only. You could easily see a 40hp swing from one brand dyno to another or between dyno operators. I don't think there is anything wrong with your truck. 101mph is about right for a stockish QC. Your local track averages DA between 1000 and 1500'. Combine a little altitude with a sub-par 60', and 13.8's is very plausible.

 

[stealth78]

I'm going to suspect you may have a cam issue. I had basically the same mods with the addition of headers (although it was an RC) but I ran consecutive 12.6's @ 110mph. I had removed the tonneau but by no means stripped a ton of weight, I think it weighed in at 5165 with me in it.

 

[MOD(S)QUAD]

I bought my 06 QC about four years ago and have installed the usual bolt-on performance

I recently dyno'd my truck at only 414hp/457tq and my best 1/4 mile time is 13.8s @101mph. Where is all the power? The truck drives almost exactly the same, although it's louder. Could I have one of the trucks with the [allegedly] bad camshaft?

I'm very frustrated, feeling like I'm throwing a match on a bonfire. This beast should be much quicker but instead it's all bark and no bite!

This is not an answer to your question but the flip side to your frustration is....

You have a 5691 lb. '06 QC + 200 lb. driver in a basically stock truck running 13's and you're not happy !! It may not sound fast comparing it to other 10's on the forum but how many GM and Ford guys would like to say that ?
I say keep your dough in your pocket and enjoy your beast

 

[Psycho1122]

I bought my 06 QC about four years ago and have installed the usual bolt-on performance mods:

• K&N Cold Air Intake
• JTSVP Throttle Body
• JTSVP Underdrive Pulley
• Magnaflow Catback Exhaust + Rear Cat Delete
• SCT Tuner from Torrie

I recently dyno'd my truck at only 414hp/457tq and my best 1/4 mile time is 13.8s @101mph. Where is all the power? The truck drives almost exactly the same, although it's louder. Could I have one of the trucks with the [allegedly] bad camshaft?

I'm very frustrated, feeling like I'm throwing a match on a bonfire. This beast should be much quicker but instead it's all bark and no bite!

I do not see a wideband on your list? I would bet you are still in the very Rich range on your A/F. Torrie's tune's are safe that way. When I first dropped in his tune, engine was still in the low 11:XX ratio. Too rich and can slow you down by .2 - .4 sec. in the 1/4. Your low trap speed is also evidence of that.
The K&N CAI is not a power adder, it a noise adder over the stock set up. So, you really have just a little better flow and sound from the Magnaflow. Stock primary cats are 2 1/2" and not high flow.
I'd put the stock air intake back on with a K&N drop in, install a true 3" manifold back exhaust with 3" hi flow cats (have a bung added for your wideband), make sure the spark plugs are fresh and gapped (index if you can), get rid of the hot, oily fumes coming into the intake from the crankcase breather, install an AEM wideband and tune with Torrie from there. At that point, if it still does not wake up, follow the feedback from the guys who have experienced the retarded cam issue.

Cheers!

 

[stealth78]

I do not see a wideband on your list? I would bet you are still in the very Rich range on your A/F. Torrie's tune's are safe that way. When I first dropped in his tune, engine was still in the low 11:XX ratio. Too rich and can slow you down by .2 - .4 sec. in the 1/4. Your low trap speed is also evidence of that.
The K&N CAI is not a power adder, it a noise adder over the stock set up. So, you really have just a little better flow and sound from the Magnaflow. Stock primary cats are 2 1/2" and not high flow.
I'd put the stock air intake back on with a K&N drop in, install a true 3" manifold back exhaust with 3" hi flow cats (have a bung added for your wideband), make sure the spark plugs are fresh and gapped (index if you can), get rid of the hot, oily fumes coming into the intake from the crankcase breather, install an AEM wideband and tune with Torrie from there. At that point, if it still does not wake up, follow the feedback from the guys who have experienced the retarded cam issue.

Cheers!

I'll agree with you on the 3" exhaust and Hi-flo's, but I was also running Torrie's "FAT" canned tune. I'm not saying that I couldn't have picked up another tenths or two with a proper dyno tune, but for tunes I am comparing apples to apples.

 

[CaptnCrash]

I found that long tube headers and catless cat back exhaust all from MOPAR Performance made the biggest difference when added to a custom tune.

I have a couple custom tunes, 1 from B&G [ Dave ] and one from Roe. The B&G one is faster.

The custom tunes require a 170'F thermostat.

The factory exhaust is the most god aweful POS I've ever seen.

--CC

 

[ViperPete]

Your making good torque. I dynoed 417hp and 422 tq on my truck when it was bone stock.

 

[Pneumothorax]

Haven't dyno'd since they are all different. But with my mods, I ran a 13.2@104 in 90 degree heat in Florida. Mods are in sig

 

[ViperPete]

I can say that my truck for the last few months has ben running SLOW! I mean feels like its 80hp low.

I got new plugs, wires, and demon coils to install. Hopefully that will wake it up.

 

[Ironhead]

I bought my 06 QC about four years ago and have installed the usual bolt-on performance mods:

• K&N Cold Air Intake
• JTSVP Throttle Body
• JTSVP Underdrive Pulley
• Magnaflow Catback Exhaust + Rear Cat Delete
• SCT Tuner from Torrie

I recently dyno'd my truck at only 414hp/457tq and my best 1/4 mile time is 13.8s @101mph. Where is all the power? The truck drives almost exactly the same, although it's louder. Could I have one of the trucks with the [allegedly] bad camshaft?

I'm very frustrated, feeling like I'm throwing a match on a bonfire. This beast should be much quicker but instead it's all bark and no bite!

Are you 100% sure your trans is 100% .
Reason I ask is there was a guy here in Houston that went to a dyno thingy a few years back that got bummed over how low his was too and found out a few months later that his was slipping just a tad between shifts from 1 to 2 that was almost totally un-noticed by feel of truck .


Second before you crack open the wallet ,I would get a second dyno from a different location to compare .


Dyno goobers can screw up a dyno if they are not consistent in the way they do it .

 

[06SRT10]

Scott, what brand & size of cam are you suggesting with what he currently has on his 10?

 

[713htown713]

I thought in order for us to cam it we had to go forced induction? I have the same upgrades all except car back. I thought about getting a cam, but I wasn't sure if I should

 

[VPRPWRD]

I thought in order for us to cam it we had to go forced induction? I have the same upgrades all except car back. I thought about getting a cam, but I wasn't sure if I should

You can do a cam without forced induction. You should get a custom grind for what you want and what your final goal with the truck is. Contact Justin at JMB Performance and he can get you what you need.

 

[Ironhead]

Check out .http://www.crower.com/


I had their stage 2 cam in my Black 10 .It was nice running cam and Torrie said it was a pretty easy cam to tune .




I would go with the stage 3 . If I ever decide to change out my Roe cam ..Great customer service too. You actually get to talk to some one lol.